Buckle



June 20, 1950 G. B. RICH 2,511,994

- BUCKLE Filed May 12, 1947 arden adv/M44 Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to buckles and it has A special object is to simplify a practical structure for devices of its kind which is not only especially efficient in use but is also easily and economically manufactured.

Another object is to produce a buckle which is equally adaptable for application to and use with the bands or straps of wrist watches, bracelets, belts, and the like, whether the same be metallic or of leather, woven fabric or other material.

A further object is to produce a device of its kind which need not be changed appreciably in form and shape but can be made in different sizes for various utilitarian purposes.

A still further object is to produce a buckle which, in one particular form and arrangement, can be applied to and used with band or strap members of different thicknesses and different degrees of yieldability, flexibility and resilience, and, in some cases, may be applied to and used efirciently and effectively with band or strap members which are more or less stiffened and even some that are non-yieldable, that is, for example, a rather stiff metallic wrist watch band of a given set curvature.

Other objects and advantages to be attainedwill hereinafter more fully appear in the following description.

An illustrative but non-limiting exemplification of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective detached;

Figure 2 is section taken on or about the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan View of a band or strap member with a buckle of the present invention attached to the end portion thereof and an opposed strap member detached from the buckle;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing both strap members as joined by the buckle; and

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the joined strap members with the buckle shown in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral i6 designtes the buckle as a whole; H a strap member attached at its end portion to the buckle, as at i2 (see Figures 3 and 5); and 13 an opposed strap member detachably engageable with the buckle (see Figures 4 and 5). As shown (see Figures 3, 4 and 5) the strap member H is provided with a transversely surrounding .2

view of the buckle 4 slip retainer loop i4 near its buckle-attached end. Obviously, this element 14 is either slidably mounted on the strap member H so as to be moved to a position over the extended end portion l5 of the strap member l3 which overlaps the adjacent outer face of the strap member II when the strap member [3 is coupled through the buckle it (see Figures 4 and 5) or else the element it may be secured stationary on the strap memher I! and the end portion i5 of the strap memher 53 slipped under said element M, as may be the more desirable. This or any other suitable provision for holding the overlapped portions of the strap members II and I3 close together may be used, as such feature, of itself alone, is not a claimed part of the present invention.

The buckle element H], of itself, and in functionable connection with two opposed strap elements to be detachably joined, such as, for example, the strap members H and I3, is of the essence of the invention. As shown more clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the buckle It comprises an open rigid frame having at its rearward end a narrow transverse rail portion or cross-bar Hi for the attachment of the strap member I l whose end portion I2 is rolled or loop-folded around or otherwise secured to said frame portion 46.

The transverse rearward strap-attaching portion it of the buckle frame is connected at'its ends by said rails I! to the ends of a forward transverse rail portion or cross-bar it, under which latter, when the buckle is applied to join the two strap members H and 13, the end portion E5 of the strap member I3 is passed and thence up through the opening !9 of the frame, when the extended portion of the strap member I3 is laid in overlapping relation over the adjacent outer face of the end portion of the strap member H already attached, as at If, to the rearward transverse portion of cross-bar it of the frame (see Figures '3, 4 and 5) Preferably, as shown, the buckle frame rails ll are bent between their ends, as at I'm (see Figures 1 and 2) so as to offset the rearward and forward cross-bar portions l5 and I3 intodiiferent planes.

The strap member l3, as brought into its above described joined relation to the buckle It and the strap element I I, has its end portion l5 placed under the slip retainer loop M and it is held from longitudinal disconnecting movement by a retainer hook element 20 to be now specifically described and which, in its peculiar form, location and particular mounting, is an important and essential feature of the present invention.

As shown more clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the retainer hook element 20 is disposed longitudinally and medially of the buckle l0. Its forward end portion 2| is attached rigidly and securely to the top face of the forward transverse portion or cross-bar l8 of the buckle frame. From its place of attachment 2| the hook element 20 is first eX- tended upward and rearward and arched appreciably with acute curvature, as at 22, and thence inclined downwardly with less acute curvature, with its free end terminating approximately at the center of the opening IQ of the frame and also approximately in the plane of the rearward transverse portion or cross-bar it of the frame, as at 23.

The particular form of retainer hook element 20 and location of its free end or terminal '23 permits the end portion I of the strap member [3 to be slipped easily and readily through the opening [9 of the buckle frame l0 from beneath and into its coupling position, as hereinabove described, and a selected one of a longitudinally alined series of apertures 24 in the strap member 13. isv brought into registration with said hook element 20 and slipped onto the same a distance from its end so that, while the inclination and slight curvature of the hook body 21] adjacent its free end permits the strap element I3 to be moved, under reasonable applied force, further in the direction of its coupling movement, yet said strap member is held by the hook member from a withdrawable reverse longitudinal movement unless the strap member is preperatorily moved laterally on said hook element 29 by the fingers and so held free of locking engagement with the hook element, or, stating it in another way, the buckle element itself is lifted away from the. band or strap member 13 a distance sufficient to disengage the member 13 from said hook element 120. Otherwise, the-"inclination of the hook element 2!! is such that any applied force on the band or strap member i3 in the direction to uncouple it causes its engaged aperture to ride up the element 29. This presses the adjacent body portion of the strap member against the forward transverse portion or cross-bar i8 and prevents uncoupling of the strap member except in the hereinbefore prescribed 'way.

It is here noted that the thinner. the thickness of the band or strap member 53 the smaller the diameter of. the respective apertures 2-5 in said member [3 need be. That is to :say, owing to the shown inclination of the retainer hook element 2.6, the apertures 24 of the thicker band or strap member t3 must be of a proportionately larger diameter or else accordingly elongated longitudinally of the member l3. Thus, if the member 13 be made of a very thin strip of metal, obviously the apertures 24 may. each be 'of a minimum diameter approximately'the same or only slightly greater than the cross sectional diameter of the retainer hook 20.

It is further pointed out that the buckle-attached .end of the retainer hook element 20 may be firmly and rigidly secured to the forward transverse portion or cross-bar 18 in any approved manner, either by .anaintegral formation, riveting procedure, welding or otherwise. Preferably, in cases where thezframe portion 18 is generally flattened and the hook element '28 extends from the top face of the frame portion l8 as shown, the adjoining end portion of the hook element may be fitted tightly in an aperture provided for the purpose in the, frame portion 18,

and, as thus placed, soldered or welded in position.

The aforesaid structural provisions and manufacturing procedures are of material advantage in the produced article and thus add to the merit of the invention as well as the simplicity in the particular form of the retainer hook element for ease in the application of the buckle to join the band or strap members and serving to hold the detachably coupled member from accidental detachment.

Obviously, the structure may be modified and changed within the purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown.

What is claimed is:

l. A buckle of the character described and of the fixedly positioned and independently immovable, rigid hook type, the body of the buckle being in the form of an open and generally rectangular, rigid frame consisting of a rearward end cross-bar portion for attachment of a strap member directly thereto and a forward end cross-bar portion to receive thereunder an opposed strap member which is passed up through the opening of the body and extended to overlap longitudinally the strap member that is attached to the rearward end cross-bar portion when the buckle is applied in use, and a longitudinally and medially disposed, rigid retainer hook member fixedly secured at its forward end on the top face of said forward end cross-bar portion of the body frame, said hook member ex tending first appreciably upwardly and rearwardly with rather acutely arched curvature at its top and thence nearly vertical at a downward and rearward inclination with only slight curvature but appreciable elongation and terminating with its free end approximately in the plane of the underside of said rearward end cross-bar portion of the body, said retainer hook member to receive retentively thereon an adjacent apertcred portion of the applied opposed strap memher.

2. A buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least the forward end cross-bar portion is flat and appreciably widened at its middle but is relatively thin in cross-section, and said end cross-bar portions are connected at their ends by side-bar members which are rebent angularly between their respective ends whereby to offset the end cross-bar portions so that the forward end cross-bar portion is in a plane some distance above that of the rearward cross-bar portion, and said offset relation of the cross-bar portions is such that, when the buckle is applied in use, the hook-engaged strap member is positioned without bending or kinking it crosswise in the region of the applied buckle.

GORDON B. RICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 422,510 Echlin Mar. 4, 1890 1,397,673 Buchsbaum Nov. 22, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 366,966 France Aug. 24, 1906 

